I realize that it's been a while since I did a blog post that was merely a blog post and not a devotion of some kind. I should probably make much more of an effort to do these. It's a reminder to me that blogging is not just a thing that you do from time to time, but is, in some ways, a whole lifestyle, and one that you have to dedicate yourself to, and to make time to do.
It's been remarkably busy around here lately, mostly because of a somewhat intense travel schedule that I've been keeping. So far this fall I've had trips to the Atlanta area and to Colorado, and still have one more trip upcoming. When I travel, I try to get everything taken care of ahead of time, so that means cramming in some extra work before I leave. Not offering that as an excuse, but saying that it has impacted my blogging life in some rather intense ways.
So what's been on my mind lately? One thought that has been there has been along the lines of figuring out how we discern God's will in some of the particulars of life. We know that there are some major areas of God's will that are fairly plain for us as Christians. God has redeemed us and given us new life through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. God provides what we need to sustain our lives each day. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. All of these are, in some respect, God's will.
Most Christians don't really question those too much. When it gets tricky, though, is when it comes to specifics and particulars in life. For a college student, the question may be, is it God's will to study chemistry, calculus, or engineering? For a single person, it may be, is this person the one with whom I will share my life? For a congregation, it may be, is it God's will that we engage in a particular type of ministry, or does God have something else in mind?
In some ways, I want to say that God's will may not be fully discernible in any of these particulars simply because they don't involve something that would go against God's will. For the student picking a major, engineering isn't "sinful" and chemistry "righteous". God can be actively working through that student regardless of their major. Same thing for the single person, and for the congregation. While they live within the guidelines of God's will, they also recognize that God can work in whichever way they go.
That's one of the reliefs that we find as God's people. God can work through our life, regardless of some of the choices of direction that we make. Sure, some may open up more opportunities than others, but God can work in each of them. And, even as we engage in those opportunities, we also realize that God's will continues to be done as He daily renews and re-creates us through the washing waters of baptism.
It's been remarkably busy around here lately, mostly because of a somewhat intense travel schedule that I've been keeping. So far this fall I've had trips to the Atlanta area and to Colorado, and still have one more trip upcoming. When I travel, I try to get everything taken care of ahead of time, so that means cramming in some extra work before I leave. Not offering that as an excuse, but saying that it has impacted my blogging life in some rather intense ways.
So what's been on my mind lately? One thought that has been there has been along the lines of figuring out how we discern God's will in some of the particulars of life. We know that there are some major areas of God's will that are fairly plain for us as Christians. God has redeemed us and given us new life through the cross and resurrection of Jesus. God provides what we need to sustain our lives each day. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. All of these are, in some respect, God's will.
Most Christians don't really question those too much. When it gets tricky, though, is when it comes to specifics and particulars in life. For a college student, the question may be, is it God's will to study chemistry, calculus, or engineering? For a single person, it may be, is this person the one with whom I will share my life? For a congregation, it may be, is it God's will that we engage in a particular type of ministry, or does God have something else in mind?
In some ways, I want to say that God's will may not be fully discernible in any of these particulars simply because they don't involve something that would go against God's will. For the student picking a major, engineering isn't "sinful" and chemistry "righteous". God can be actively working through that student regardless of their major. Same thing for the single person, and for the congregation. While they live within the guidelines of God's will, they also recognize that God can work in whichever way they go.
That's one of the reliefs that we find as God's people. God can work through our life, regardless of some of the choices of direction that we make. Sure, some may open up more opportunities than others, but God can work in each of them. And, even as we engage in those opportunities, we also realize that God's will continues to be done as He daily renews and re-creates us through the washing waters of baptism.
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